


A Call Away

by Deyanira



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Gardens & Gardening, Gen, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 15:45:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15222449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deyanira/pseuds/Deyanira
Summary: Kairi has been training hard while Sora and Riku take on their own missions. Unfortunately, Sora runs into Vanitas, who has his own plans on how to treat the heroes of Light. He kidnaps Sora and merges with him, taking the time to draw Kairi into a false sense of security before ending her.





	A Call Away

Though they struggled, Kairi and Lea attempted to catch up to Riku and Sora in training. Kairi knew very little of Sora’s current adventure, but she knew they would talk soon. It was only a matter of time, as the Lights were gathering together. The Darkness was growing, and there was only so much Sora and Riku could do without the rest of the Lights. Her status as a Princess of Heart made her ever slightly wary of the final battle, but she was determined to keep up with her two best friends. Light would prevail, she told herself.

“You okay?” Lea’s voice cut through the flurry of thoughts.

“Yeah, just thinking,” Kairi replied, her voice airy. She didn’t want Lea to worry about her, especially over something that they were all worried over. Lea patted her back, handing over a sea-salt ice cream bar before settling down on the ground. Kairi took the treat, taking a small bite before settling herself next to Lea. The sun was beginning to set, and soon darkness would envelope the land before them. The stars would come out, one by one, reminding her of the other worlds that were counting on her and the others.

“Hey, no need to worry. I mean, I can’t promise everything will be alright, but if you need to talk about it, I will listen.” Lea bit into his sea-salt ice cream, allowing the flavor to spread across his tongue. A striking view of red and orange began to wash over them, signifying the end of another day. The pair had gone over magic, and being able to help friends in battle. Not surprisingly, Kairi was far more proficient than Lea. He would catch up, she knew. She didn’t want to depend on anyone, no more damsel in distress. Destiny’s Embrace would steer her true, she knew.

“I don’t know if it’s worth talking about. I’m worried about Sora and Riku. I know they will be alright, but I’m still worried. There’s a lot of things that I don’t know. Xehanort is my biggest concern. My grandmother told me stories of a great Keyblade war. Then how the worlds came to be because of the light in the hearts of children. I’m sure you have heard that story before.” Kairi smiled, before eating more of her treat.

“Yeah, I’ve heard the story. Lights in the hearts of children… wonder if that would make a difference now.” Lea sighed heavily.  “As for Xehanort, I can’t say much on the guy. I was shocked when Saix prevented me from saving Sora. I know a little about his plan, but we can’t do anything except train and prepare ourselves for what is to come.”

“Yeah,” Kairi replied, turning to look at the sunset. The wind rustled through the leaves, whispering of a warm night. “I’m going to head back. Hope that’s okay.”

“That’s fine. Sleep well. See you in the morning!” Lea waved, watching as Kairi stood from her seat. Though Sora took the wayfinder with him, she had created another one for herself. Her fingers worried at the middle of the group of shells, providing a sense of comfort. Her footsteps seemed to echo as she walked away from Lea. Did she want to be alone right now? No, she wished Sora was around, that would guarantee a smile from her at least. The wind wrapped around her body, welcoming her into the folds of this world. “Sora, I miss you.”

* * *

 

“Ventus, what an odd place to slither off to.” Vanitas sneered at Sora from beneath his helmet.

“What? Who are you?” Sora called his Keyblade to appear, taking his battle stance. Though he was disguised in the world of Monstropolis, it was strange. He felt anger coursing through him as he looked at the stranger in the black coat. It didn’t feel like his own.

“Pathetic. You continue to hide, and leave me here to find you. Well, that’s fine. The Unversed have done their job.” Vanitas lowered his Keyblade for a moment, debating on whether he wanted to fight the other before him. He seemed weak, and it wouldn’t take long to overtake the teen. However, there was the problem of Sora’s friends. They would have to be eliminated. Unversed began appearing, making their way towards the group behind Sora. Shouts of surprise echoed around the hero of Light. “Come on,” he thought to himself. Vanitas seemed to lose his patience as he made a swipe at Sora.

The keyblade wielder avoided the attack, summoning his yo-yos to take over for the time being. The creatures around him were certainly new, but he would deal with them the same way he would the Heartless. For a moment, it seemed as if the hero of Light would take over the battle, but Vanitas had other plans. Void Gear hacked into the air at Sora, though it was soon blocked by the yo-yos in the monster-boy’s hands. Sora switched back to his keyblade, parrying off some of Vanitas’ attacks. He was no longer the weak boy who first handled the weapon, he was now skilled, shooting lightning at the cloaked figure.

Vanitas grunted as the bolts hit him. This would be fine. Pretend that Sora wins, then take over. Xehanort still needed a 13th vessel, and Sora would serve to become one. It would be simple. Despite the fact they had been thwarted by Riku in the past, he was not going to allow this chance to slip by. Soon enough, Sora was being assaulted on all sides by Unversed and Vanitas. When Vanitas blocked one of the attacks, the hero of Light made another attempt to strike. The wielder of Void Gear easily escaped. While Sora had been busy attempting to land a blow on the masked enemy, he didn’t notice one of the Unversed behind him, about to attack. Soon he felt a gash on his body, and he winced at the pain seeping through the adrenaline. Sora wondered where his potions were. He was certain he had a bottle, but there wasn’t time to get one. Being attacked on all sides was draining, and he could feel the pain sapping at his strength. His movements were slowing, and Vanitas saw an opening to take over.

“Shame that he didn’t lend you his strength. Not that he had much to give,” Vanitas cackled, finally overpowering his opponent.

* * *

 

Darkness surrounded him, welcoming Sora into its folds. Though he was not familiar with it, he felt incredibly distant and unaware. There was no light, simply emptiness. This was similar to what happened when he failed in a fight against the Heartless. However, something about this felt heavy and emotional. Sora felt as if he wasn’t supposed to be feeling this way, as if it were something extremely personal to whomever was feeling it. Awareness came slowly, his nervous system firing almost awkwardly in order to finally return to his sense of self. Eventually, he could hear people talking, but it seemed as if they were in a bubble. He didn’t recognize the voices, but he knew they were discussing him.

* * *

 

Vanitas was pleased with himself. Capturing Sora had not been a small feat, not to mention transporting him through a corridor of darkness while the Unversed took care of his friends. Simple and to the point. While he wasn’t exhausted, he did feel tired from carrying the other through the darkness. Xehanort was not initially pleased with him, but he agreed that keeping Sora as a back up would be a good idea. Vanitas wondered if he could merge with Sora, as he knew Ventus’ heart was within the wielder. He brought this up with the Keyblade Master, offering it as an idea. They may not have known where the Chamber of Waking was, but they now had the idiot’s heart. This was progress. Besides, Vanitas could merge with Sora, and complete his heart with Ventus. It bothered him slightly that they looked alike, almost twins. The difference being the golden eyes and jet-black hair, but oh, those differences wouldn’t matter to the right person. Merging might affect Sora’s appearance, but that would be easy to disguise. A cruel smirk curved his lips, and Vanitas knew what he must do. It was just the same as when he merged with Ventus.

* * *

 

“Who are you?” Sora’s voice nearly echoed in the darkness, where he saw the masked figure from before.

“You don’t even remember? Oh, you wound me! It doesn’t matter now, because you’re no longer going to exist,” Vanitas replied. His connection with Sora was undeniable, especially when one looked at his appearance. But soon it wouldn’t matter, because Sora would be extinguished, and Vanitas would be in control. Perhaps not the way Xehanort planned, but still a vessel nonetheless.

“What are you even talking about? I don’t know you. Do I?” Sora asked himself, but the cloaked figure was an enigma. He wore the Organization’s coat; therefore, he must be one of the vessels. Other than that, Sora knew precious little of Vanitas.

Vanitas cackled, removing the mask from his face. There would be no doubt in seeing the similarities between them now. Amber eyes seemed to bore into blue. “I might as well be you. Except I’m far superior. Although, having to move down the list again was just poor planning. Shame, it would have been interesting to fight you. Now we’re here, and there is nothing that can be done. I have control. You are merely a vessel.”

Sora didn’t have a response. Seeing himself in the coat had thrown him for a loop, and not to mention the yellow eyes. They almost looked natural on his face. “How could you just allow yourself to fall under Xehanort’s control?! There is something else out there, you don’t need to be one of the thirteen.” Sora responded through gritted teeth. He knew there was no fighting at this point. Despite his strength lying in his friends, he was still weakened from the earlier fight.

“Xehanort has been my Master for years. You probably weren’t even a thought when I was created.” Vanitas smirked, and Sora winced at the look. “Doesn’t matter now, I win.”

* * *

 

It was strange being in Sora’s body at first. Though they had a similar build, Vanitas was more muscular than the wielder. The loss of muscle tone was a trade off, but that was alright. He kept Sora’s clothing, choosing to appear as if nothing had changed. Sora’s hair had darkened, and his eyes were now amber. However, from a distance it appeared as if everything was the same. Xehanort was pleased with the development, though he was disappointed that he was not able to entirely take over Sora the way he initially planned. Though it would change in time, Vanitas knew Sora was vital to their final plan. If anything, he had a part to play, and he would exceed expectations.

Sora was frustrated by the takeover. He was no longer in control, and Vanitas was spreading his Unversed all over the place. There was nothing the wielder could do, he was stuck watching. He was aware of what was occurring, but could not do anything to stop it. He was terrified Vanitas would come into contact with Kairi. It wasn’t that Sora didn’t believe she couldn’t handle herself, it was more that he knew she would let her guard down, and that could be deadly. There wasn’t any way to warn Kairi or Riku at this point. Ienzo had invented phones for them to use across worlds, but there was no way he was going to reach the phone. Vanitas was not going to relinquish control to him. There was too much at stake, and precious few who could become vessels. Therefore, he was in his own prison. Sora was reminded of the young Master Xehanort, calling his heart a prison. Now he knew what the other meant.

* * *

 

Kairi stared at her phone, wondering when Sora would call her. It had been quite some time since they had spoken. It wasn’t as if they did daily updates, but something felt off. She couldn’t quite place what felt odd, but it was there all the same. How funny. The princess sighed softly, stuffing her phone in her pocket. Sora may not have time to call, she told herself. He’s probably busy. Other platitudes to calm her down were thought of, but it did nothing to soothe the storm within her mind. “Please be okay,” she murmured.

A knock at the door distracted her from her thoughts. “Come on, Kairi!” Lea’s voice easily carried through the wood door. She breathed deeply, exhaling slowly to calm herself.

“Coming!” She called, pushing herself off her bed. The princess would make the best of the day, even if it meant that she couldn’t talk to Sora.

* * *

 

Vanitas had not quite taken to his new form quite yet. It still felt as if he was in a stranger’s body. Nevertheless, he began to plot. If Sora was down for the count, there was one less Light, meaning they needed to gather the princesses. The Seekers of Darkness were already doing so, but one Princess of Heart remained with the Lights, and that was Kairi. A devilish grin appeared, looking out of place on Sora’s visage. All he had to do was find her, and that wouldn’t be an issue. Vanitas was certain he could mimic the hero for a call. Xehanort asked that he destroy the communication device, but Vanitas felt it could be useful. The interface was easy enough to get through, and Kairi was simple to find, there was a heart next to her name.

Sora began to plead with him, begging him not to call. “Vanitas, please don’t. Leave Kairi out of this!”

“Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Besides, I’m sure she misses you.” Vanitas cracked a grin at the hero, ignoring the pleading as he tapped on Kairi’s name.

* * *

 

Kairi wasn’t expecting the beep of her phone. It was Sora’s ringtone, cheerfully announcing he was calling. She immediately stopped her training, Destiny’s Embrace paused in a movement to strike. This was important. “Hello? Sora?”

“Kairi! Sorry I haven’t called, I’ve been trying to help in this one world, but I can’t seem to catch a break. Do you think we could meet up?” Vanitas had to force himself to sound cheery, which was less difficult than he imagined it would be.

“Yeah, of course! Where? I know Twilight Town has a new restaurant that just opened. Did you want to meet there?”

“Sounds good to me. Actually, how about we meet at the garden? It’s been a while since we’ve been at Radiant Garden, we can check on your flowers.” Vanitas could feel Sora seething at the idea. The nifty part of taking over his body was having the ability to look through his memories. It seemed like such a happy place to be for the pair.

“Sora, that sounds wonderful! I hope the Restoration committee has been watering them while I’ve been away,” Kairi laughed, a smile appearing. She needed this. The odd feeling that earlier pervaded her mind disappeared once Sora suggested the garden. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. Sora was alright.

 

“We can meet tomorrow, does that work?” Vanitas was beginning to struggle. He couldn’t stay cheerful for much longer. Hopefully he could end the phone call after she answered his question.

“Sounds perfect. I’ll be sure to let Merlin know I have plans. See you tomorrow! Around oh, does 10 AM sound good?”  
“Yes, sounds good. Bye, Kairi!” For a moment, Sora seemed to slip through, and her name sounded almost desperate. However, Vanitas wrestled control back, smiling to himself. Kairi hardly noticed, grinning from ear to ear. She would be seeing Sora for the first time in quite some time, and she wanted to make sure nothing would stand in her way. The princess hurried to Merlin, practically bouncing the entire way to make him aware of her new plans. The wizard agreed to allowing her the day off. Lea seemed disappointed, but understood.

* * *

 

Kairi was careful in her routine. She woke early, getting ready as carefully as possible to appear nearly flawless. Though the princess knew Sora wouldn’t care how she looked, she still wanted to look nice. He thought she looked nice in anything, even a burlap sack, and that wasn’t saying much in her opinion. For the first time since training started, Kairi’s heart felt light, no sorrow to bring down her mood. Though a fight loomed in the horizon, there was still so much to look forward to. Light would prevail, she knew it. The princess inspected herself carefully once more, releasing a sigh of relief once she finished. Every piece was in place, ruffles were ruffled, and boots were buckled. She would stop by Lea’s room to wish him luck in the day’s training before she left. There was so much hope inside the princess, it practically radiated off of her.

* * *

 

Vanitas had not let anyone know of his plan. He kept out of the way of the other Seekers of Darkness, and arrived early in Radiant Garden. Appearing out of a corridor of darkness would not bode well for his plan. The Seeker stepped out of a corridor in an alleyway, taking his time. Usually he would have been sent out on missions, but he was planning on enjoying this little departure. Sora wouldn’t keep quiet, practically screaming in his head. It was annoying, but he wanted the hero to see what was to occur. No doubt it would break the wielder, and that was exactly what Vanitas wanted. A broken person was easier to mold and shape into something new. All the pain and suffering of previous Masters and wielders within Sora would eventually break him, but that would take time. The Seeker’s plan would be far more efficient. All it would take was Kairi. Vanitas had to allow her to arrive first, because if she saw the changes in Sora’s appearance due to his takeover, there would be problems. If she waited on him, there wasn’t any rush to appear as if nothing dramatic had occurred.

There wasn’t a bell to announce the time, but he knew it was drawing near. He began to make his way to the center court, knowing full well that Kairi would be there already. It would only be a few minutes. Her red hair stood out in the crowd of people nearby. An audience for his plan, how wonderful. They seemed distracted with the flowers. He had to admit, the world was looking a lot better. Not quite the way it had been the first time he was here, but still nice. “Kairi!” He called, lifting a hand to wave at the princess. She looked up from her garden, the one she started, and Vanitas saw realization dawn on her face.

The princess weaved through the group of people in the garden, pulling Vanitas into a hug. He knew that he appeared like Sora, with amber eyes, but he wasn’t expecting such a warm greeting. Sora was strangely silent, seeming to enjoy this moment. She had not even paused to look at him, which seemed odd to the wielder. Had she missed Sora that much?

“It’s so good to see you! Come on, the flowers have grown so much since I was last here. Looks like the Restoration Committee did a good job.” Kairi released him, waving him over to the garden. Vanitas smiled, looking at the plants. It was only for the princess, to keep up the façade for a moment.

“Sure looks like it. Kairi, look at me.” Vanitas wasn’t sure what brought him to tell her to look at him, but it was alright. Her blue eyes seemed to scan his body first, noting where there were bruises and scratches. Once she actually looked at his eyes, the princess gasped.

“You’re not Sora.”

Vanitas pulled her into a hug. “Sure I am. I’m just a better Sora. You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into. I was thinking of keeping you, but really, I don’t think it matters.” Kairi struggled against him, but failed to escape him. Suddenly, there was laughter in her ear.

“You know, he’s begging me not to kill you.” Her blood ran cold, and goosebumps raised on her arms. “Even saying that he’ll join the Seekers if I just let you go. But you know I can’t do that. He’s already destined to join us, and if anything, this will just help him along. The Master would be pleased if I brought you to him, seeing as you’re one of the seven pure Lights, but I just can’t do that.”

“Let me go. I don’t know who you are, just let me go, leave Sora alone!”

Vanitas relinquished her for a moment, and Kairi took the time to summon Destiny’s Embrace. He laughed as the Keyblade materialized.

“I don’t think you understand the situation you are in.” For a moment, Kairi could see Sora’s eyes turn blue. “Run, Kairi!” There was his voice, coming through. Sora wrestled control for a period, pleading with Kairi. He knew she missed him, but he couldn’t risk her losing her life. The princess watched, stunned, as his eyes turned amber again. “Sorry, he won’t be coming through again.” Vanitas-Sora grabbed her arm, pulling her close, a hand near her stomach. The crowd had dispersed in the time it took to surprise the princess.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“A shame, because you should be. Say goodbye now, Sora, because this is the last time you see your princess.” Sora’s eyes widened, and he tried to gain control of his body again, but it was no use. Vanitas summoned his keyblade, allowing it to materialize as he described Sora’s pleading to the Princess of Heart. As soon as Void Gear appeared, he attacked, landing several blows on Kairi. Sora cried out, seeing his friend, someone he loved in so much pain, and unable to do anything about it. The princess cried out, tears welling up as the keyblade struck her. There was malice in the attack, none of which she had seen up until this point. Kairi was losing strength, and the adrenaline was doing nothing to keep her from feeling the pain.

“Stop! Please!” Kairi begged, finally bringing her keyblade to block the blows. She couldn’t keep going. While training was going well, this wasn’t training. This was life or death. And frankly, the princess wanted to live.

“Goodbye, Princess.” Vanitas lifted Void Gear, summoning a wave of dark energy as he made one last attack on Kairi. She fell back, hitting her head on the concrete. Pain began coursing through her. Kairi could feel her body giving up.

“Sora, I never got to say…I love you.” As the words left her lips, the princess’ body began to glow, fragmenting into shards of light. Sora could feel himself breaking. There was nothing he could do, all he could do was watch. For a moment, he gained control again, lifting what was left of Kairi, preparing to reciprocate when she completely faded. She would never know he loved her, too. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he cried out from the pain. Vanitas took the chance to take over again, wiping the tears from Sora’s eyes. This would be the start of his initiation into the Organization. He could tell Sora was broken, which was the plan all along. Destiny’s Embrace did not fade, but it looked lifeless. Vanitas would return to the other Seekers of Darkness and explain what he had done. He knew he would get an earful from Xehanort, but in his opinion, this whole thing was absolutely worth it. He smiled, opening a corridor. It was time.

**Author's Note:**

> Here we are, more angst for the Sokai server. I've been having a lot of fun writing various scenarios with Kairi and Sora, the stages in their relationship. Someone in the server mentioned the idea of having Sora being taken over by either Xehanort or Vanitas and having commentary while he was about to murder the person he cared about. Thus this fic was written!


End file.
